Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Making a Pattern


                                 Making a Pattern

     I have been working on my new Sleeveless Yoke pattern and I thought I would share some pictures with you.  I am on the tail end of this one, so the pictures are from about 75% of the way throught he process.



     I already have the pattern in the system and it is graded.  I need to get it in the correct form to have it printed.  I do this at StyleCad, which is in the LA Garment district.  They are a pattern software company, and I am something of an anomoly to them.  Almost none of their customers print the patterns, other than for samples to test them.  Usually, once they pattern is finished an laid out, it is sent electronically to the cutter and the automatic cutter takes care of cutting out all of the pieces.  We have learned lots of tricks to get their system to do what I need it to do to be able to have all of the information on the pattern and to be able to print it out in an economical way.
     As you can see in the picture above, all of the pieces are laid out on the screen.  This process is called making a marker.  When you call up the pieces, they are laid out on the 'fabric' (the computer screen) and the marker maker arranges them so that the most pattern pieces can be arranged with the least wasted fabric.  The more fabric waste, the more money you throw away.
     I have an engineering background, which comes in handy in doing this kind of spacial relationship stuff.  It took me a while to play with all of the pieces, but I was able to reduce the total printing size by 25% (which helps to keep the price of the patterns down).



Once I have the pattern laid out the way I want it, I send it to the printer so I can make final check for typos, placement, sizes, notations, etc.  Once that has been OK'd, then I print a good copy, which will be the master that the patterns will be made from.



     Sorry this is hard to see - I thought it would show up a bit darker.  This is part of the Master - yokes and collars.


     When they get back from the printers, hopefully nest week, they will be ready to roll!  Ta dah - a new pattern!  I am going back again tomorrow to grade and start labeling my A-Line jumper.  Can't wait!
     Saturday, Lisa Shepherd and I are taking the bus from Cotton and Chocolate (our local quilt store) down to the Long Beach Quilt Festival.  Not as big as Houston, but PLENTY of fabric for me to see and collect (hmmmmmmmmmm)!  Will take plenty of pictures!  I also started a new smocking class.  One of the gals called me 5 years ago for info and finally got around to signing up.  Another smocker has no grandchildren (although she wishes!), but wanted to learn to smock.  She went to Bali to learn how they dye their fabric and learned how to dirt bike there.  She has continued that hobby here and walked in with a chic black cast on her right hand/arm (it actually took me a few minutes to realize she had a cast on, it blended so well with her jacket and slacks).  She crashed when she was dirt biking with her childless son.  You go girl!

Happy Stitching,
Vaune





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